Trimble Business Center

I have created several rdlc reports for Business Center from taking the stock BC report, such as the earthwork report, and manipulating these to more fit our needs and layout. It seems to work well but my issue is that I cannot get the report to run side by side with the BC standard report, it is either one or the other. If I copy the custom report in the report database and try to run this custom report, BC runs the standard report by default.

Is there a trick to getting the custom report to work side by side with the BC standard report? Until I feel comfortable with my step up, I want to be able to run the reports side by side for comparison. It is also a pain to keep swapping reports in and out of the report database. 

I like the idea of rdlc because they have access to all of the data in TBC and reporting functions such as totaling, whether as the Word Reports are more user friendly but not as evolved yet. 

I have done some digging and I have not found much on this.

Thank you.

Can you send me an example of one that you are trying to get working Pat and I will look into this for you - you are venturing off into Uncharted Territory with this one - I personally have never attempted to create an RDLC Report - but maybe now is the time to start - I will see if anyone here has any experience around this to draw on to get me started.

It may take a little while to get back to you on this though as I have other priorities for the rest of this week.

Alan

Thanks Alan.

This is not a rush priority but something I have been trying to figure out for over a year now. With us slowing down for the winter season, this is one of the backlog items that I have on my list. 

I have attached the following:

• rdlc files for my custom report
• a pdf showing what the pdf looks like with some comments on things that I need to tweak further
• rough concept of an end goal that I would like to see showing: cut and fill map with takeoff breakdown

There is a lot of good information in the Takeoff report but there are a few areas that I feel can get consolidated to make this report more concise.

My biggest hang up right now is running this custom report side by side with the out of the box report.

Hey Pat

As we just discussed on the phone - I took the following steps and got this to work as I think you wanted

1. Downloaded your RDLC report Template and I placed it in a Folder called Pat L RDLC Report in \Documents on my PC. Note store this in a separate location to where TBC stores its RDLC templates. Also Rename the file so that it is not the same as the original RDLC Report Template.
2. In TBC run Report Options. From there - at the top of the dialog there are some buttons. Use the Create New RDLC Report function. 
   1. Give your report a name e.g. Pat L Takeoff Report
   2. Give your report a Description
   3. Report Source Data - pick the Takeoff Report
   4. Report Layout File - pick your specific Layout File from \Documents etc (1) above
   5. Tap OK

If you run the Takeoff Report - That is the original Report

If you run the Pat L Takeoff Report that is your version of the Takeoff Report

This seemed to work for me.

As discussed, if there are specific data fields that you feel that we should add to the Takeoff Report that would give you the data you need to run the reports you need, I can put in a request to get those fields added.

I will try to find some time in the new year to work on RDLC reports and look to help you develop these in 2019.

If you can share a project that you want to use as a Test Project between us, that you consider Typical / Complete for what you want to achieve, that would be helpful. I can then share that with development also if they need to do anything to further the Takeoff Reporting Functions.

Thanks

Alan

Hey Alan,

I just ran through that again and it still looks like it is pulling the standard Takeoff Report even when you create a new report, shown below.

In the image below, the left report is the custom report that I adapted from the BC report and the report on the left is what I get when I run through your workflow (this is the out of the box BC report). I also attached a video showing my workflow. Please let me know if I am missing something.

I will work on preparing a job that has most of what we need without being to large, to keep computation time to a minimum.

Thank you.

Alan,

Attached are the following:

• TBC File
  • VCE and Takeoff Report Components
• Takeoff Report as of 03072019 - Where I have got the Takeoff report to
  • Big take ways:
    • Custom Company Logo
    • Individual Site Region Mass Earthwork Volumes and Areas - Strata Cut Volumes
      • Gives you a break down of the cut volume for the strata layers I would like to be able to get the cut area as well. It does not appear to be possible with the current data available
      • This is valuable when dealing with unsuitable strata. It gives you idea on areas that can get raised to get out of out high points in the strata
      • The areas of strata cut are beneficial for our blasters. We typically need a area of the ledge, so they can base their gird pattern on this
  • I am getting closer but still running into issues
  • I still have not found a run to run a custom rdlc, so what I am doing is replacing the out-of-the-box Takeoff report with my revised Takeoff Report
• Takeoff Report - End Goal - Where I would ultimately like to get the takeoff report to
  • Earthwork
    
    • First Sheet to be a summarize top soil and mass earthwork analysis
      • Maybe moving around this items make sense or maybe we keep them in the same spot but add an "Earthwork overview" that concisely shows these. The report has a lot of good data but it can be hard to get to the essentials 
    • The reason for this is because when you are budgeting  and bidding a job, these are going to be the big items you will be concern with from an Earthwork perspective. Then go into the detail for the respective groups.
  • Site Improvement Quantities
    • I would like to be able to show the overall depth of a site improvement
      • QA/QC thing 
      • I could not get this working

I will keep picking away on this when I get free time.

Thank you,

Pat

Any rdlc report Gurus out there? The custom word reports work but you are limited on the formatting sometimes.